Shirly (pronounced – Sheer- Lee) Brener
is already a known celebrity in her homeland. Born
in Haifa and raised in London and Los Angeles, she
is well on her way as a rising film star. This modern
day Renaissance woman has a diverse career as an
actress, producer and host as well as ventures as
an art historian, writer and philanthropist.
Her breakthrough role came opposite Henry Thomas
in the comedy Highjacking Hollywood and since then
she has been compared to a young Michelle Pfeiffer,
Meg Ryan or Goldie Hawn, Brener embodies the essence
of a Hollywood IT girl with her talent, charm, humor,
edge and confidence.
Since 2005 has completed over 30 projects booking
job after job and traveling the US and the world
working alongside great actors and directors. She
is known to be wide ranged from a romantic lead
to an accented (Shirly has an ability to do many
dialects and accents) hooker, drug addict and complex
women with mental issues. Her outgoing personality,
sense of humor and a super professional attitude
on the set as well as her intense commitment to
her work and craft has some of the creative teams
hiring her over again.
Most recently on location in Connecticut, acting
in the much anticipated Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes)
cop drama, Righteous Kill, starring no less than-
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Released by Overture
Films, in 2008. Other roles include but not limited
to: War Inc., playing John Cusack’s wife and
also starring Academy award winners Ben Kingsley
and Marisa Tomei as well as Hillary Duff -shot on
location in Eastern Europe and produced by New Crime
Productions (High Fidelity). Shirly , who is described
by her friends as hilarious, is showing her funny
side and romantic comedy appeal in films like Bill
starring Jessica Alba and Aaron Eckhart, produced
by GreenStreet Films (In the Bedroom), Employee
of the Month with Jessica Simpson Dane Cook and
Andy Dick directed by Greg Coolidge , produced by
Tapestry Films (Wedding Crashers) and LionsGate..
Brener recently completed 3 very anticipated strong
Leads: Touched (from the French producers of The
Class) based on a real life drama, Shirly plays
a BI-polar schizophrenic abusive mother- Film is
set to premiere at the Dominican Republic film festival.
Also the dark comedy Hit List, alongside Joey Lawrence
and John Savage, playing Charlotte, a lovable loser
turned assassin and Letting Go where she plays the
dysfunctional April who is a psychologically challenged
designer hooked on prescription medication, she
stars as the lead opposite Bokeem Woodbine, Sam
Golzari and Christopher Knight, directed by award
winning Jake Torem to premiere in 2009 at SlamDance
and Tribeca film festivals. Also the Israeli Crime
Drama- homage to the Godfather- Honor (KAVOD) in
which she plays an undercover cop and a supporting-lead
in the psychological -thriller Session, starring
Steven Bauer (Scar Face) which she is a Producer
on too, both directed by festival acclaimed -Haim
Bouzaglo.
Brener is not limited to feature films; she most
recently notably Guest Starred on CBS’s prime
time hit Criminal Minds, had a supporting role opposite
Lindsay Lohan in ABC’s Labor Pains and is
awaiting the release of 2 TV movies, The Dunwhich
Horror (Based on a HP Lovecraft novel) for SciFi
Channel and Quantum Apocalypse for Spike TV.
Securing a path in higher education as well, Shirly
graduated with honors- on the Dean’s List-
from the University of Southern California with
a degree in Art History and a minor in Film Critical
Studies. She then got accepted after to the Masters
of Business Administration program at Pepperdine
University. While in school, Shirly never let her
acting ambitions down, and managed book and shoot
in such films as The Gray Zone, directed by Tim
Blake Nelson opposite Mira Sorvino and Harvey Kietel,
by Killer Films and LionsGate, Blind Horizon starring
Val Kilmer, Sam Shepard and Faye Danway (was in
the official selection of South by Southwest) and
Shadow of Fear opposite James Spader and Aidan Quinn..
Other projects she completed were the Weinstein
Co. The Killing Grounds (aka Children of Wax) as
a Lead opposite Armand Assante and Udo Kier playing
a German Neo Nazi girl, directed by European award
winning Ivan Nichev and produced by legendary producer
Menahem Golan, and a supporting role in the Steven
Seagal film Mercenary for Justice, playing a field
reporter in an actions filled film .
Not leaving her passion for theater behind, Shirly
also just completed a very edgy supporting role
in the play – “Eccentric”, at
the RipRap Theater in NoHo, which won rave reviews
(pick of the week) and was nominated for an LA WEEKLY
Award.
Her career began at age 2 doing commercials for
Merci Chocolate in both France and Germany, at 15
she was accepted to the prestigious theatrical performing
arts department of Beverly Hills High School acting
in such productions as “The Life and Adventures
of Nicholas Nickleby” and “The Pirates
of Penzance”. She later went on to act in
local community and college theater with leading
roles in “The Heidi Chronicles” and
“It Had to be You”.
Juggling a career in 2 continents, she became a
series regular on the popular Ramat Aviv (show was
a smash hit, much like The OC), the host of the
popular MTV- Singled Out and a supporting-lead in
the Israeli Academy Award winner film- Mr. Baum.
Stardom became synonymous to Brener and she recurred
on shows, did Guest Stars, hosted a variety of shows
(The Mad Doctor, Deadly Fortune etc.) and her name
and face were used for product endorsements such
as “Burger King”, the “Milk Company”,
“Planet Hollywood” and others.Maintaining
her career abroad, she regularly hosts shows and
does entertainment news reporting for E! Entertainment
and Y BE 10(like Access Hollywood).
Producing films and TV has always been a sought
after pursuit, She recently signed a 6 pic deal
w Praxis films, whereby she will produce alongside
this successful company their next several projects.
The first of which Blood Hostage a mixed martial
arts action film, will be shot on Location in Israel
starring Vinnie Jones and Scott Adkins directed
by famous action director Isaac Florentine. Brener
is committed to bringing economic growth to the
film industry in Israel by promoting a synergy of
products across both continents. Also Shirly just
sold a reality format- Demolition Chef to Small
World (the company who does How I Survived a Japanese
Game Show. Another film Shirly was able to put together–
the psychological suspense thriller- Session, starring
Steven Bauer (ScarFace, Traffic). She has a major
role in the film too. Before which she Exec produced
the short –Shoot starring Jonathan Silverman
and Nikky Six and 2 documentary films both of which
she produced, directed, wrote, shot and co-edited.
One about her father (a famous sport figure) - Danny
the Golden Fish and another about abstract expressionist
LA based artist (her hubby) - Bruce Rubenstein.
Shirly has several other projects in development
like the films Doves in a Blizzard, Rock and Roll
Nanny, and others.
Brener studies regularly at the Advanced and Master
scene study class at the prestigious Beverly Hills
Playhouse (she calls it the LA version of the legendary
“Actor’s Studio” in NY) under
the renowned- Milton Katselas. Also one of Brener’s
coaches is Danny Mora (teacher of George Lopez,
Jennifer Coolidge and Jay Hernandez), a former stand
up comic, he has helped her with sitcom and improve
techniques.
Her writing can be read in a monthly column in
Shavua Israeli (Israeli Week) in LA, which is titled
:”Café Latte with Shirly Brener”,
in which she writes about her life, fashion, entertainment,
being a Mom and Wife etc. She also writes poetry
both in Hebrew and English, which she hopes to publish
some day.
Shirly loves her supportive family and friends
and is always deeply committed and dedicated to
them as well as helping them and other people around
her.
She is adding charity and volunteer work to her
always fully loaded schedule. Her work in organizations
such as Narconon, Gan Hayeled, Yad Beyad, Reading
Writing Its Exciting, The Haifa Foundation and Living
Beauty are a testament to her giving nature.
Always on the go, Brener is an avid athlete and
adventurous sports aficionado, she practices Bikram
Yoga weekly and enjoys outdoor activities such as
snow- skiing, water skiing and wind surfing as well
as hiking, tennis and, of course, regular workouts.
In her downtime she enjoys traveling to exotic
locals such as Africa, Greece, Bulgaria, Jamaica
as well as frequenting art exhibitions and museums
around the world. Brener is an aspiring chef always
as cooking creative recipes for her always welcomed
family and guests (her dinners have become quite
famous in LA) while compiling ideas for a future
cookbook
Shirly credits her spiritual path as well as her
supportive family and friends to her success, well-
being, courage, tenacity, love, happiness, and positive
attitude.
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